Still the One
by Ember1313
Summary: Telling the truth doesn't turn out the way Elizabeth planned. Maybe that's why she was surprised by what happened next.
1. Chapter One

Disclaimer:  
I own nothing related to or affiliated with Disney, ABC Daytime, or General Hospital. Characters are not mine; they are merely being borrowed.

AN:  
I have no idea where this came from. I've been in a writing drought for months and haven't touched LiRic fic in even longer. Apparently all it take to get me writing again is Ric Lancing back in Port Charles. Who knew? Of course this mean he has to stay forever now. But I doubt anyone here will complain about that.

This fic is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I hope you enjoy it as well. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Background:  
This starts at the engagement ball as Elizabeth is telling Lulu. (3/25/14) I fudged the first two chapters and used dialogue from the show. There are differences mostly in chapter two though.

* * *

**_Still the One_**

Chapter One

Elizabeth smiled as Lulu began to realize she was telling the truth. That Ben was truly her son. The joy on the younger girl's face made Elizabeth realize that Ric was right. Again. It was really starting to become a habit with him.

While helping Lulu and Dante was part of her reason for exposing Britt it wasn't the main reason. If she was going to be honest, her main reason was getting Britt as far away from Nick as possible. Elizabeth wanted to be the one to make him see what kind of person she really was.

"Thank you so much," Lulu said pulling her into a hug. It was easy to see how happy she was at this moment.

Elizabeth laughed despite the fact she was also crying and said, "You don't have to thank me."

"Yes I do," the younger girl countered immediately. "And I'm going to figure out how later." Lulu promised turning back towards the door. "Right now there's something I need to do."

"Wait. What are you going to do now?" Elizabeth asked worried about how upset Lulu was. After all the girl was still Luke Spencer's daughter deep down. And they had both grown up on stories of the man's adventures.

"I'm going to get my son," she said storming out of the room letter in hand.

Elizabeth shook her head before collapsing on an ottoman. "That went well," she muttered resting her head in her hands. Suddenly she felt very tired and slightly ashamed. Telling Lulu the truth might have been the right thing to do but she did it for all the wrong reasons. In that, moment she realized that she couldn't keep playing this game with Nikolas. Not if she wanted to stay sane.

A soft knock on the wooden door made Elizabeth look up. Not surprisingly, it was Ric standing there with a worried look on his face. "Did you find Lulu?"

"I did," she said standing up slowly. "I told her everything. She finally knows the truth about her son."

"This is going to be a dumb question but how did Lulu react?"

"She reacted exactly the way I would have. She ran off to find her son and take him back."

"Are you gonna be okay? Do you want sit back down?"

Elizabeth shook her head and fidgeted nervously, "No. No. I'm fine. I just can't believe this is really happening."

"Thanks to you and Cameron's formidable origami skills."

She immediately frowned at the thought. "Don't say that," Elizabeth mumbled walking away. While that was technicality true, it was also the last thing she wanted to hear. "Don't say thanks to me."

Ric frowned at the statement. "But I thought you wanted Lulu to know the truth?"

"I did. I do. But the fall out," she turned to face him. "It's gonna be really ugly Ric."

A slightly pained look crossed his face at her words. "You mean for Nikolas?" he asked taking several steps towards her.

Elizabeth blushed at the question mostly because she knew Ric was once again right. Her first concern had been for Nikolas. Looking away she asked, "Where did you say Cameron was? He in the kitchen?"

"Yeah. Gorging himself on baked goods." Ric laughed tensely. "I dropped him off there after my little run in with Alexis."

"Oh you had a little run in did you?" she teased forgetting about the chaos for a moment. Like her, Alexis had a complicated relationship with Ric. She wasn't surprised they had some kind of disagreement.

Ric shook his head, "It's not like that. She's got it in her head that I'm mixed up in some shady dealings with Julian Jerome."

"Are you?" she asked bluntly. Suddenly the conversation felt like déjà vie. In the worst possible way. If Ric was mixed up in something, she wanted to know now. Before... before anything.

"No," he denied letting out a sigh when it was obvious Elizabeth didn't believe him. "Look Elizabeth I'm not. She's the one that asked me to represent him during that whole AJ mess."

"Then why would Alexis think that?"

"I can't be 100% sure but my guess would be Sonny out her up to it."

"I got the feeling you were trying to mend fences with Sonny," Elizabeth said as Ric sat down.

"Oh I am," he muttered smoothing his tie with one hand. Of everyone in his life, Sonny and Elizabeth comprised his biggest regrets. Maybe that's why he kept trying with them both. Of course Elizabeth was usually more receptive then his brother. "Let's just say he's not exactly receptive to my overtures."

"Oh imagine that," she said slightly teasing Ric. Of everyone, she knew how much a relationship with Sonny meant to her ex. She also knew why Sonny wouldn't let his brother in.

"You know how Sonny is. He sees everything through a paranoid haze," he said waving the situation off.

"Well... Can you blame him?"

"No. I mean after all I am the spawn of Satan. Right?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes at her ex husband, "Oh jeeze."

"I'm the back stabbing brother who for years sowed seeds of chaos into Sonny's life."

"Alright I wouldn't go that far."

"Well he does," Ric scoffed standing to walk the length of the room. "And he continues to every chance he gets."

"So how did you leave it?"

"Well I tried to tell him if there was someone helping Julian Jerome work against him it ain't me."

"I could remind you of all the reason Sonny had not to trust you. To run down that laundry list of lies and double crosses... all of which you promised me are in the past."

"Indeed they are."

"But instead of drudging up ancient history which is no doubt painful for the both of us. I'm just gonna ask are you done with your pity party? Cause Babe really it's not your most attractive quality."

Ric smiled inwardly at the comment. It gave him hope that Elizabeth was totally lost to him. "But you are saying that I have some?"

"You're good with my boys I'll give you that."

"I'll take it. Speaking of which," he said reaching out to touch her bare shoulder. It was an impulse he'd been fighting most of the night. "Why don't we go gather up Cam and head to the main land?"

"Right now?"

"Well if I'm not mistaken Lulu is about to turn this celebration into a crime scene. Do you really wanna subject Cam to that? Not to mention Britt and Nikolas turmoil." Seeing the torn look on Elizabeth's face, he asks, "Unless that is the plan? To stay and subject yourself. You've thought about what this whole revelation is going to do to Nikolas and Britt and you wanna be right there."

"Not for entertainment." Elizabeth denied immediately in a hurt voice.

"That's not what I'm saying. When Nikolas finds out you want him to see you out in the crowd waiting for him with open arms."

"That's not true. Oh there's that look." Elizabeth muttered shaking her head. "That look I've missed so much."

"What look?"

"The one that says I know you better than you you do."

"Well maybe in this case I might just be right. Come on Elizabeth if you're not going to be honest with me at least be honest with yourself. You see this as your chance with Nikolas and you don't wanna blow it."

"I really hate it when you're right. Part me of really loves Nikolas and that part... yeah it wants me to stay. To... I don't know prove I was right all along. And that part does want a shot with him."

"But?" he pushed despite not wanting to hear about this. As far as he was concerned, Nikolas Cassadine was an idiot for letting Elizabeth go. Of course, the same could be said for him.

"He has caught Britt in lie after lie. And he chose to be with her anyways. No one forced Nikolas to propose."

"So what are you saying?"

Elizabeth let out a long sigh at the question. Truth was she was so mixed up she wasn't sure of anything right now. "That Nikolas is going to be very hurt and angry and I... wanna be there. For a lot of reasons. But Cam... we should take him home."

"Home?" Ric questioned smirking at the innocent comment.

"Ric... I'm not..."

"I know. I do." he promised giving her elbow a soft squeeze. "How about I take you and Cam to dinner? Unless he's ruined his already."

"I think I'd like that."


	2. Chapter Two

**AN:**

I was so touched by the comments, favorites, and follows. **Wilhelm Wig worthy** &** Bryke13** thanks for the comments. It always good to have new readers. I hope you like what I have planned. **Pwrmom2** I'd be shocked and upset if you didn't. ;)

LiRic was my second fic pairing ever and it feels good to come back to it. This chapter has dialogue from 3/25 and 3/26. There are some differences however. Some of them are very important in the upcoming chapters.

~Kelly~

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**Chapter Two**

They had managed to pry Cam away from the sweets without incident. Elizabeth's son was too happy about Emma Drake to be upset they were leaving early. Apparently leaving the party unnoticed was too much to ask for. They were putting on their coats and laughing at one of Cam's jokes when the doors suddenly opened. "Leaving without saying I told you so?" the prince snapped the moment he saw them.

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth asked pulling Cam close. This wasn't the reaction she expected her friend to have.

"Seriously, I'm surprised you didn't waltz in here with a mariachi band."

She looked around the foyer before glaring at him clearly Nikolas had lost his mind. "Are you being serious right now?"

"Come on. Don't deny it. You've been gunning for Britt ever since you found out we were together."

"I couldn't stand your fiancée well before that," she reminded Nikolas angrily. The fact that he was attacking her in front of everyone stung.

"Oh, my God. The hypocrisy right now is... is... what is it? Well, it's... frankly, its mind blowing," Nikolas snapped running a through his dark hair. "Saint Elizabeth up on her pedestal looking down at us immoral beasts. How... how are you any better than... than the rest of us?"

Lulu tugged on her brother's arm shocked by his attack. Whatever Elizabeth's motives she had done the right thing. Something she would've thought was obvious. "Nikolas..."

"No! How many lies have you told? How many lives have you upended, because you were a coward? Yet you stand here and judge the rest of us with a smile on your face."

"You think I'm enjoying this?"

"Could have fooled me."

"What was I supposed to do?" Elizabeth demanded to know. She wasn't going to let Nikolas make her feel guilty about telling the truth. Well not anymore than she already did. "This is your sister we're talking about. Are we all supposed to just ignore the fact that somebody else is raising her baby?"

"No Liz."

"Continue to let her suffer?" she pressed sick of her friend's attacks. Elizabeth was especially how this was affecting Cam. The little boy was hiding between her and Ric.

"No."

"Then you tell me how this was supposed to go down."

"Not like this," Nikolas muttered waving his hands in anger. "You couldn't have done it any other way? You had to orchestrate a public scene like this? My God!"

"I was just trying to do the right thing."

"So, what? You... you want my gratitude? Is that what you want, Liz? You want me to tell you that you were right all along and I should have listened to you and that I should thank you for coming to my senses?"

She blinked back the sudden urge to cry. She had never known Nikolas to be so cruel. At least not with her. To mock how she felt for him broke her heart. "I don't want anything from you."

"Get the hell out of my house." Nikolas yelled causing her to flinch.

Elizabeth could feel Ric's hand tugging gently on her arm. It was clear they needed to leave immediately. Unfortunately, the crowd had gained two additional guests. One who was too much like her mother to keep quiet

"Stop yelling at my Auntie Elizabeth." Emma Drake yelled stepping between the two adults. Everyone, but Britt, got silent and stared at the young girl.

"I... I didn't..."

"You know Emma its okay." Elizabeth said kneeling in front of the kids.

"But he's..."

"Sometimes when grown up get upset we yell." she explained despite knowing Emma wouldn't believe her. "How about I take you home with us and save you Daddy a trip? Okay?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ric wonder around Elizabeth's living room while she put Cam to bed. After Nikolas's scene, dinner had been out of the question. Especially considering they now had to drop Emma Drake off. To his surprise, the other man hadn't asked a single question. Apparently, Dr. Drake trusted Elizabeth to make those sorts of decisions for his child.

"Cameron is out like a light." Elizabeth said coming down the stairs. She'd been half-tempted to crawl into bed herself. She was sure Ric would've figured things out eventually. "He was asleep before his head hit the pillow."

"Yeah, well, he had a tumultuous evening, you know? So did you."

"Well, thanks for seeing me through it." she said wring her hands together. Despite being tired, she was still upset. If she could get Ric to leave then this horrible night would finally be over. "You don't have to hang around. I'll be okay."

"Will you? Mm. Nikolas said some pretty hurtful things," he pointed out gently. Ric thought knew Elizabeth pretty well. He knew she believed every terrible thing Nikolas had said about her. Things that simply weren't true in his mind.

"Yeah well," she shrugged sadly. "His world just got turned upside down."

"You're right. The person that he loved was taken away from him."

Elizabeth collapsed on the couch and muttered, "By me."

"Well... that's how Nikolas sees it." Ric agreed slowly. He didn't want to hurt Elizabeth anymore than she already was. Still he wasn't totally above pointing out his rival's flaws. "And he's... he's not gonna let it go anytime soon, if ever. Isn't it time for you to let go of him, too, Elizabeth?" he asked sitting on the arm of the sofa and loosening his tie. He had to admit watching her laying there made his heart race. "You deserve to be happy. Aren't you ready to give up on Nikolas once and for all? When you have history with someone, that familiarity is... it's an opportunity. It can draw you closer, but it can also give you ammunition. Nikolas used what he knew about you tonight, Elizabeth, to hurt you, and I'm sorry, but that bothers me."

"He was upset." she defended sitting up with a long sigh. Truth was she was used to the public humiliation. A fact she probably shouldn't mention to Ric.

"Oh, come on. And... and he... and he... and he turned on you, right? He took it out on you. Britt is the one who lied to him, Elizabeth... I mean, to the whole town, apparently... and who did he yell at? Who did he humiliate in front of an entire roomful of people? Who did he throw out of his house? You. And all you did was tell him the truth."

Elizabeth let out a soft humorless chuckle, "When you warned me not to."

"Yeah, well, I kind of knew how Nikolas was gonna react," he said standing to pace the room. Ric had to work off some of his nervous energy before he did something stupid. Like go back to Wyndemere and deck Nikolas Cassadine. "He is a bit of a tyrant."

"No, he's not." she defended firmly. Nikolas was a lot of things but he was still her friend. Tonight's outburst was just a result of his wounded pride.

"No?! I'm sorry. What... what do you call what happened tonight?"

"It was... it was a difficult situation." she excused immediately causing them both to frown. "That's what it was."

"Yes," Ric agreed even though he didn't believe her excuses. His ex wife was far too loyal to turn on an old friend. "And it is in those moments, Elizabeth... those very tough, very challenging moments... that we reveal who we really are. You didn't deserve to be treated that way."

The last statement shocked Elizabeth. Mostly because Ric was probably the only one who thought so. Lucky and AJ certainly hadn't. "I haven't exactly been...fair to Nikolas, either." she told him standing up and move to the other side of the room. She needed some space before she broke down completely.

"He acted like a spoiled child. You deserve better."

"Well, don't we all?" she snapped back surprising them both.

"Elizabeth, I want you to think about what happened tonight." Ric pleaded softly. He crossed the stop just short of touching Elizabeth. If he started would never want to stop. "You should be with somebody who treats you better than Nikolas. You should be with me."

"I don't want to have this conversation right now," she begged toying with her necklace. It had become a habit that was driving Ric crazy with longing. "Tonight was already difficult enough."

"So Nikolas took it out on you."

"I don't want to hurt you... I really don't... but you're in no position to criticize Nikolas. Yes, he has flaws. We all do. But he was deeply hurt tonight and lashed out. But that doesn't even come close to the type of mistakes you have made."

"Mista…" Ric paused trying to ignore the flash of anger coursing through him. Unlike most of Port Charles, he deeply regretted his mistakes. "Those mistakes are years in the past."

"That's kind of my point. You've been gone for five years!" she pointed out slightly raising her voice. "You haven't been back for five minutes, and you're telling me that Nikolas doesn't deserve me, and I should be with you?"

"I was only trying to be honest with my feelings. I don't wanna play games with you."

"Well, that's a lot to process."

Ric let her walk past him. It was easy to see Elizabeth was upset. Keeping his back to her he said, "Look, I realize you only agreed to go to the party with me, because you didn't want to go alone. Maybe you thought that by having me show up with you, you could light a fire underneath Nikolas."

"I wasn't trying to use you." she defended causing him to turn around.

"But I offered to be your date because I am more than happy to spend as much time as I can with you, Elizabeth," he declared following her across the room. "And because I welcome the opportunity... to try to win you over. That's how much I care about you." The admission caused Elizabeth to blush and look away. "Don't you think you can care about me that way in return? Remember our first kiss? It was after that open-mike night. We went down to the basement at Kelly's, and Carly was trying to convert the whole thing into a speakeasy."

"I invited you to a very exclusive club opening." Elizabeth smiled at the memory.

"Yeah. I tell you I had a lot more fun at that party than I did at the one tonight."

"Ric, that was a very long time ago."

"We turned on the radio. Remember?" He continued as if Elizabeth hadn't spoken.

"You're a pretty good dancer."

"Still am." Ric said causing her to blush slightly. Maybe this was the way to make progress with Elizabeth. Moving to stand in front her Ric ran his fingertips down her arm. "A lot has changed, Elizabeth, but one thing's the same. You're still the only person that I want to impress." Lowering his head Ric hesitated for several seconds. He wanted to give Elizabeth plenty of opportunity to pull away. Instead she tilted her lips up to meet his. The kiss was brief and almost chaste. Nothing like the first kiss, they shared. However, it affected him just as intensely. Pulling Elizabeth close he broke the kiss. "Mm. I swear I forgot what it was to feel like that. Feels like the first time all over again."

"But that doesn't mean that this is okay." she said hiding her face in his chest.

"No, it means everything, Elizabeth. That's why I'm here," he reminded her pressing a kiss to her temple. "Look, I know you feel it too, okay? It's like I said earlier today, you know? We were good together once. We can be good again. I care so much about you, Elizabeth. Please, just... let me show you how much, okay? Let me be with you." he said tilting her face back to his.

"You want to sleep with me after just one date, one kiss?"

"I didn't mean it like that. Come on, Elizabeth." Ric huffed as she pulled away from him. It was almost as if she was trying to pick a fight. "We're not kids, right? We're not strangers. We were married. We have history. You know I'm not looking for a night or two. I want to have a relationship with you. Yes. Yes, I want to sleep with you. I've been attracted to you from the moment we met. But I want far more than that."

A pained looked crossed Elizabeth's face, "I can't."

"I-I don't understand. Oh. Oh. Nikolas. You're still not ready to let go of him, even after everything that he said to you tonight.

"Everyone's allowed to have a bad night." she defended almost immediately. Elizabeth was shocked by how confused she was. How could one kiss turn her entire world upside down? Of course, it was a really good kiss.

"Nobody is allowed to treat you like that... not in my book."

Elizabeth shook her head. Knowing Ric, felt that way was so touching. She couldn't remember the last time someone defended her like that. The trouble was Nikolas was one of her oldest friends. It wasn't as if she was going to cut him out of her life over this. "Please don't try to save me from Nikolas. We've known each other since we were teenagers. We've been through hell and back... lived through terrible losses, gone through hideous mistakes. We've been right, we've been wrong, and we have always found a way to forgive each other. I don't think tonight is gonna be any different." she finished collapsing back on to the sofa with a sigh.

"And I hope you and Nikolas are friends forever." Ric said taking the seat beside her. His right hand slowly traveled up her leg as he spoke, "Look. I know you, Elizabeth, okay? I know there's a part of you that wants to be with me. Just let me in."

"We... I'm so confused right now. Please don't." she asked frowning at how complicated the situation was.

"I know..." he chuckled reaching down to take off her shoes pulling her legs across his in the process. "I know I'm pushing too hard. Do you remember the first time we made love?" Ric asked leaning closer to brush his lips against hers. "Hmm? I tried to push you away."

"You called me a complication." Elizabeth pouted at the memory a soft smile on her face.

"A beautiful complication." he corrected with a laugh. Ric could still remember her indignation when he called her that. Elizabeth has this way of making him less eloquent. "You weren't part of my plan. My head and heart for the first time they couldn't agree. So I tried to push you away. And now..." he paused for several moments letting his lips caress her face. "My head its saying slow down before she throw you out of her life again. But my heart... Elizabeth my heart... I... just don't want to lose this chance we have."

"I'm so mixed up so confused right now I couldn't find up with a map. Please tell me you understand that Ric." she pleaded soft her eyes staring into his. The last few months had been a roller coaster ride. She just needed a few moments to breath before making another decision.

"The last thing I want to do is cause you more pain," he promised easily. The fact Elizabeth wasn't throwing him out gave him hope. The fact she was half-asleep could have something to do with it. "You look ready to fall asleep."

She nodded allowing her eyes to close. There was something about Ric's fingers against her skin. "I'm so drained I could drift off here."

"Then that is my cue to leave. Just know I'm not going to give up on us." Ric grabbed his coat and opened the door to find Nikolas standing there about to knock. "I think you have company Elizabeth."

"Who is it?" she asked sitting up. When she saw Nikolas, she immediately frowned. She hadn't expected him to show up until morning. "What are you doing here?"

"We need to talk." Nick answered while glaring at the other man. He couldn't believe that Ric Lancing was still here. What was Elizabeth thinking? Certainly, he hadn't hurt her that bad. "I know it's late but if you could hear me out..."

"Nikolas I don't wanna fight with you anymore." she interrupted wrapping her arms around her body. At the moment, all she wanted to do was sleep for at least a week.

"That's not why I'm here."

Elizabeth shook her head only half believing her old friend. She was still angry with Nikolas. And she doubted he calmed down much since they last spoke. Still she might as well get this over with. "Alright. Fine." she conceded moving to sit on the arm of the sofa.

Ric watched the short scene with interest. He wasn't sure why Nikolas showed up demanding to speak with Elizabeth but he didn't like it. "Would you like me stay?"


	3. Chapter Three

**AN:**

Thanks for all the reviews. It makes writing this such a joy. I'm not totally happy with the last part of the chapter but I think it flows well. And yes this is one of those I have a plan trust me fics.

~Kelly~

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**Chapter Three**

"Would you like me stay?" Ric asked moving closer to where she sat. Glancing over at Nikolas he could see that despite looking calm the younger man was still angry. Not without good reason he could admit. However Elizabeth had been through enough to tonight without being attacked again.

Elizabeth shook her head at the question. Having Ric stay would only make things worse. "I'm sure I'll be okay."

"Call me if you need anything. Or even if you don't." he said making Elizabeth blush at his words. The action gave him more hope that things between them weren't beyond repair.

"Thank you for..."

"You're welcome, Elizabeth." Ric whispered brushing his lips across her cheek before heading out the door.

"I didn't expect to find him still here." Nikolas huffed once the other man was gone. He didn't like feeling jealous that Ric was here. As far as he was concerned the man wasn't worth the attention.

Naturally he would have to say something about Ric. Elizabeth crossed her arms and said, "I thought you didn't want to fight."

"No it's just interesting. How you judge me being with Britt but you're with Ric." he pointed out with a humorless laugh. Tonight couldn't end fast enough as far as he was concerned.

"I'm not with anyone." she defended almost on instinct. Truth was she still cared a great deal about Ric. It wouldn't be difficult to try again with him. "Yes Ric was my date tonight. A date you encouraged I might add." Elizabeth pointed out causing him to wince. "So don't act like you didn't know anything about it."

"You're right. I shouldn't have said anything. I just don't to see you hurt."

"Is that why you publicly humiliated me tonight?" she asked looking Nikolas in the eyes. If they were going to do this she wasn't going back down. After tonight Elizabeth had a feeling those days were over.

"That... that wasn't about you. My pride..." Nikolas paused and began pacing the room. He didn't want to explain anything about tonight. All he wanted was Elizabeth to accept his apology. Later when he wasn't feeling so raw he'd be more willing to explain. "I was so embarrassed and hurt by what happened I just wanted it to stop. Then I saw you and with him and the three of you were laughing..."

"So that gives you the right to attacked me?"

He grimaced at the angry question. Maybe he should have waited until in the morning. Clearly Elizabeth was still just as angry as he was. "Seeing that was just too much. Even if I don't agree with how you handled thing I shouldn't have treated you like. As my friend you deserve better."

"You're right I do deserve better." Elizabeth agreed easily. She was half tempted to point out Ric had said the same thing. Just to see how Nikolas reacted. Only she really was trying not to fight with her friend. "When Lucky found out about us... he attacked me all over town. He called me some really horrible names."

"I remember."

"And I let him. I stood by and let a man I cared for call me a whore. At my job no less." she continued quietly. Elizabeth wasn't proud of that time in her life. She nearly killed herself because her lies. She never wanted to end up like that again. "Do you know why Nikolas?"

"Why are you bringing this up?" he asked instead of answering the question. That was a painful time for him too. A time that ended with him losing the woman he loved and his son.

"I let Lucky treat me that way because I thought I deserved whatever he wanted to dish out. Why should I complain? I had betrayed him in the worst possible way. But tonight..." Elizabeth paused to take a deep breath. She wasn't going to let Nikolas see her cry. "I wasn't the one who lied to you Nik. To Lulu and Dante."

"I know all this."

Elizabeth shook her head at how reasonable he was being. "And yet I'm the one you attacked. You tossed me out of your house."

"I apologized for that." Nikolas countered hotly. He still couldn't believe he'd done something like that. He knew that moment might have ruined his friendship with Elizabeth forever.

"Then you should go."

He blinked at the weary command. Surely Elizabeth couldn't be serious. Could she? "You're asking me to leave? Is this some kind of pay back for earlier?"

"You came here to apologize and you did. What else is there?"

"There's the fact you haven't accepted my apology yet."

"It's late Nikolas. We're tired and angry. I understand why you lashed out. I'm just... I can't deal with this anymore."

"Alright fine. I'll go but I will be back."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ric showed the bellboy out and shut the door. This was one of the first times he was happy about staying in a hotel. Room service was definitely a plus after the night he'd had.

To be honest he was surprised Carly was letting him stay at all. Given their history he expected to be thrown out by now. Maybe his brother had something to do with things. Trying to keep an eye on him. Whatever the reasons Ric was happy to be home. For how ever long that was. He had already stayed longer than he'd planned.

Molly wanting to come live with him was certainly unexpected. He didn't want to tell his daughter no especially after being away for so long. Moving her out of state wasn't the answer either. Her friends and family all lived in Port Charles. Forcing her to leave didn't seem fair.

Glancing at the clock Ric decided it wasn't too late for a phone call. His partner was probably waiting up to hear how the night went. Maybe the other man could give him some clarity on what to do.

Hitting the speed dial Ric nearly laughed when halfway through the first ring he picked up, "Waiting on my call?" he asked sitting on the bed. He had a feeling he was going to need to sit down at some point during the call.

"Honestly I expected you to call earlier. Did the party go well?"

Ric did laugh at the question. In Port Charles well was a matter of opinion. After giving it some thought he said, "There was a decided lack of blood shed when I left."

"I'm sensing a but somewhere in there."

"It turns out Nikolas's fiancee stole Lulu and Dante's frozen embryos. Ben is their son. The whole thing came out in the middle of the party." he told the other man bluntly. There was no point in lying about something that was about to become public knowledge.

"Of course it did. You can't have a party in Port Charles without some sort of drama. And your date? How did that go?" he asked almost casually. It was funny that Nikolas was the one to set Ric up with his ex wife. He thought the whole town knew that the lawyer wanted another chance with Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth was the one who outted the lie to Lulu. Unfortunately Nikolas wasn't... as grateful about knowing the truth." Ric admitted reluctantly. As far as he was concerned Nikolas being an idiot only helped further his cause.

There was a long pause on the other end before he asked, "But she's alright now?"

"She was better when I left. Still hurting though."

"Just don't push too hard." he warned the other man. He sent Ric there for several reasons. Not just for him to chase Elizabeth Webber again. "You know how she gets."

"I already promised her I wouldn't. Tonight wasn't all bad." he admitted thinking briefly back to their kiss. "She didn't turn me down outright."

"Then I wish you luck." he chuckled knowing Ric would need it.

"I'm sure I'm going to need all the help I can get. Elizabeth isn't going to make winning her back easy."

"Good for her. As long as you don't do anything stupid in the process."

Ric frowned at the idea. He knew that this was probably his last chance to get things right with Elizabeth. Nothing was going to get in the way of this opportunity. "I'm not going to screw this chance up with Elizabeth."


	4. Chapter Four

**AN:**

Sorry about the delay. Kids, bitchy clients, ongoing sickness, yadda, yadda. I know this chapter has no Ric or Liz but it really is a key early chapter. Aslo ya'll will be happy to know I finally have an idea where this fic is headed. Without giving anything away it's very different for me. I'm super excited to see how it plays out. Barring more real life non sense I should have an update on Monday. Maybe sooner.

~Kelly~

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Nikolas returned to Wyndemere more angry when he left. Partly because Elizabeth had argued with him. Apparently her pride had suffered tonight as well. He could certainly understand the feeling. What he couldn't... wouldn't understand was Ric Lancing's presence in her home. The man was a manipulative bastard at best. At worst he was a dangerous criminal. Why did Elizabeth keep falling for his lines?

Grumbling to himself the last thing Nikolas expected to see in his office was Britt. "What are you still doing here?" he asked pouring himself a drink. If there was a night to get drunk this was it.

"You can't be serious?" she asked her eyes following his movements. "It's the middle of the night Nikolas. Where would I go?"

"Ironic you saying that." he chuckled humorlessly. "I'm almost certain I said those words to you when you first moved in. I'm not falling for anymore of your games."

Britt couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was seriously trying to end things between them. "So that's it? We're over? Just like that?"

"I'm not sure why you looked surprised. Did you think I was going to forgive you?"

"I... I know you're hurt and angry but I love you. Why can't you remember that?" Britt pleaded grabbing on to his arm.

"Britt I don't think you know what the word mean."

She was sick of listening to everyone take shots at her. What she had done was wrong but it wasn't like she meant to hurt anyone. "Not like your precious Elizabeth?" she snapped voice filled with anger and accusations. "I mean that's where you went right? Straight to that little..."

"This isn't about her." Nikolas interrupted

"Of course it's about her. You think she told the truth out of the goodness of her heart?" she asked dramatically. If she could get him to believe her about Elizabeth, as she had before, then she could win him back. "Even she's not that superior to the rest of us. Elizabeth wants you and she'd do anything to get you."

He shook his head at the reminder that Elizabeth wanted him back. It only reminded him that he wasn't the only one who wanted her. "Like you did with Patrick? You admitted to trying to trap him with my sister's baby."

"I explained all that to you." she huffed and tried not to roll her eyes. Britt couldn't understand why he refused to listen. Clearly she had tried to make things right for Lulu and Dante. Did everyone forget that?

"Yes I remember. It's all your mother's fault. Right?"

"She was the one who..."

"I don't care Britt." he shouted in order to cut her off. At the moment he hated her more than he ever did Rebecca. Which to be honest was shocking to him. You... you were the one who lied to everyone. To me. Just you. No one forced you into this."

"Please you have to understand."

"Get out." he demanded grabbing her arm. It was obvious she wasn't going to leave on her own. Forcing her was the only he'd ever get any peace tonight.

"Don't do this Nikolas." she pleaded as he dragged her down the hall. Britt couldn't believe that he was hurting her like this. "Please. At least let me say good bye to my son."

Nikolas ground his teeth at the fake please. He wasn't in the mood to listen to anything she had to say. "I think you keep forgetting he isn't your son." he reminded her harshly as they reached the door.

"Wait. Stop." Lulu called out running down the staircase. "She has Ben."

This was certainly unexpected news. "What? Who has Ben? What are you talking about?" he asked quickly.

Dante pulled Lulu into his arms before speaking. "Britt's mother has taken our son."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dr. Obrecht quickly made her way through the side streets. She was certain that oompha Dante had called the polzei by now. Stupid Americans. She would not let them take the baby from her Britta. And for now that meant getting them out of town.

Thankfully Faison had taught her well. She already had a safe house in place. It wasn't ideal being just over the boarder in Canada. However it would do until Britta could reclaim her son. She had everything prepared for them to live a comfortable life well out of Dante and Lulu's reach.

Liesel shut the car off and took the gun from her pocket. She had no intention of shooing anyone, clean up could be so trying. Still the weapon would go a long way to persuading certain parties. Parties like Miss Elizabeth Webber.

That little wichtigtuer was the cause of this entire mess. If she'd shown the proper loyalty to her, as her employer, none of this would be happening. The younger woman would regret her decision and that was a promise.

XXXXXXXXXX

Patrick checked his watch before heading to the nurses' station. He had been avoiding the sixth floor hub all morning. Sabrina was on duty and facing her was still uncomfortable. Especially now that Robin had once again left. Avoiding his ex seemed like the kindest thing for both of them.

Today he was going to have to make an exception. Elizabeth was working the same floor and he had about a thousand question for his friend. When she showed up last night with Emma he didn't question the gesture. Something he now regretted. Between his daughter's tales of the party and this morning's news Patrick didn't know what to think. Well beyond letting out a sigh of relief.

If Britt had her way he would have been in Nikolas's position. Of course he was having trouble feeling sorry for the guy. It wasn't like he didn't know the woman was a liar.

Approaching the hub he took a deep breath. He didn't see Elizabeth anywhere. Maybe the nurse was already checking on patients. Talking with Sabrina was awkward but not impossible. "Have either of you seen Elizabeth?"

"She isn't here." Felix said looking up from the chart he'd been working on.

"Wait that can't be right." he mumbled in confusion. Patrick knew Elizabeth was on the schedule for today. "Are one of the boys sick or something?"

Sabrina shook her head at the question. "No one's heard from her. She didn't isn't answering her phone either."

Patrick immediately knew something wasn't right. Not showing up or calling in wasn't like Elizabeth at all. She was one of the most responsible people he knew. Glancing at his watch again Patrick made a quick decision. "I'm going to check on Elizabeth."

"Wait." Felix called out as he turned to leave. "What should I tell you know who?"

"My rounds aren't for another hour. If Dr. Obrecht wants to fire me she can." Patrick replied before stepping on to the elevator.


	5. Chapter Five

**AN:**

Ahhhh the plot thickens. ;)

~Kelly~

Translation:

Wichtigtuer - busybody, noesy person

anwältian - female lawyer

* * *

**Chapter Five**

In the twelve hours since Ben went missing the PCPD had erupted into chaos. A missing infant was something Anna took seriously. The fact that Dr. Obrecht was the one behind all this only heightened her concern.

The other woman was dangerous enough on a normal day. This situation, however, was anything but normal. Anna worried this might push Britt's mother over the edge. If that happened who knew what Dr. Obrecht might be capable of.

"We've got men watching the airport, bus and train stations. So far no sign of Dr. Obrecht." Dante said slamming his hand on the desk. He couldn't believe this was happening. He and Lulu could be celebrating the fact Ben was their son. Instead Britt's mother had found a new and horrible way to torture them all. "No one has seen her."

"Well she couldn't have gotten very far." Mitchell, one of the newer detectives muttered.

Anna wasn't so sure she agreed. Dr. Obrecht had spent years learning from Faison. A man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. "Unless she planned this all a long." she pointed out seriously.

The idea immediately caught Dante's attention. They had arrested Britt on a series a crimes. Most of which probably wouldn't stick. The laws just didn't cover a situation like this. She was still in custody however. He knew Anna and the DA were dragging their feet setting an arraignment. "You think Britt knows something?" he asked staring at the woman sitting in the interrogation room.

"It's certainly possible. She's been in on her mother's plans up until now. I don't see..." Anna's cellphone cut the commissioner off. Looking at the caller id she frowned. She couldn't imagine what her son in law would want this early. Unless something was wrong with Emma. "Patrick is Emma okay?"

"Yeah... she's fine."

Anna let out a deep breath. Although it didn't clear up the reason Patrick was calling. "Then I don't really have the time to..."

"I think Elizabeth is missing." Patrick said in a rush. His voice was shaking from emotions.

"Missing?" she asked catching several of the detectives' attention. This was one of the last things the department needed. "What do you mean you think she's missing?"

"Elizabeth..." he started before pausing for several seconds. "she was late for work. She hadn't called in and no one could reach her. So I... I decided to check in on her. But... um..."

"But what, Patrick?" Anna pushed knowing how stubborn the younger man could be.

"Her car's in the parking garage."

"That doesn't mean somethings happened to her."

Patrick's humorless laugh immediately caught her attention. "I'd agree if her purse and keys weren't lying on the ground."

"Don't touch anything." she warned motioning for Dante to join her. "We'll be right there."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth woke to the once familiar sounds of a baby crying. Frowning in confusion she slowly sat up. Almost immediately she was hit by a massive headache. Letting out a deep sigh she slowly opened her eyes. Looking around the large room did nothing help her confusion.

"Oh good you're finally awake," Dr. Obrecht said thrusting Ben into her arms.

It was then Elizabeth remembered what happened. She had been leaving her car when Britt's mother approached her. Normally she'd be happy to ignore the woman. Of course the other woman wasn't usually holding a gun or Ben. Both facts complicated matters considerably.

She found herself driving a car, probably stolen, across the boarder into Canada. Elizabeth recognized part of the route from when Zander and Emily ran away. it was no surprised when they pulled up to a secluded cabin. She already figured out that Dr. Obrecht had a back up plan in place. The only thing she didn't know was how involved Britt was.

"How long are you going to keep us here?" Elizabeth asked trying to sooth the baby she now held. It wasn't an easy task considering how freaked out she was at the moment.

"You... you... Wichtigtuer, I have plans for you." the older woman admitted with a sinister smile. "However my grandson will shortly be reunited with Britta."

"What sort of plans?"

Dr. Obrecht waved the question away. She obviously had no intention of letting Elizabeth in on her plans. "Nothing for you to worry your head about. At least not until the time comes."

"Britt's probably in jail. You know that right?"

"Yes, you're probably right. Thankfully I have prepared for such an event. My anwältian will no doubt free Britta. Then she and Ben can start a wonderful life out of Dante and Lulu's reach."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Patrick waited calmly until Anna and Dante arrived. He hadn't really worried until he saw their faces. If Anna was concerned the situation must be more serious than he ever thought. "I called Audrey. The boys are with her today."

"That's good." Anna said looking over the scene. If her hunch was right then Dr. Obrecht had taken Elizabeth Webber. Probably as some sort of revenge scheme. The trouble was none of this felt rushed. She would bet money Britt's mother had this planned for months. Well maybe not the kidnapping Elizabeth part. But the rest? She'd stake her reputation on it. "At least we have a time frame to work with."

"You don't think this was random do you?" he asked trying not to take his fear out on Anna. This wasn't her fault. If anyone was to blame it was Britt. Her twisted plan to trap him was the reason for all this misery.

"I know you want to help Patrick but let us do our jobs." Dante said while trying to keep himself under control. Today was one of those day he couldn't deny Sonny Corinthos was his father. Although killing Britt wouldn't solve anything at this point.

"We're gong to find her," Anna promised firmly. She was going to catch Dr. Obrecht no matter what it took.


	6. Chapter Six

**AN:**

Thanks for all the reviews. They make my day. Dr. O taking Liz has far reaching consequences. The kind that don't come out for several chapters.

On a side note. Most days I wanna stab Guza in the eye. How can you SOARS MOll and not Cam? Seriously? So I had to play with the kids ages. I mean seriously play with them. I think I'm happy-ish with what I ended up with. Even though it meant I had to age Elizabeth a bit.

Cam is 12 and will be 13 in June.

Molly is 11 and will be 12 in Nov.

Spencer is 11 and will be 12 in March.

Emma is 10 and will be 11 in Nov.

Aiden is 4 and will be 5 in July.

Also Liz is 33 and Ric is 39. One last thing Sabrina isn't pregnant in this. Trust me I have more than enough drama going on without adding her to the mix. Okay I lied the last thing is Ava not Sonny killed AJ.

~Kelly~

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Dante was starting to hate riding the lunch to Wyndemere. It seemed nothing good came from going to the small island. However since Lulu refused to move he didn't have a choice. Part of him was grateful for Nikolas's support. At least he knew she wasn't alone.

While he wanted to be there for his wife Dante needed to find Ben. He knew Lulu would understand. Especially since he promised to keep her up to date. However that wasn't the reason for dragging himself all the way to Wyndemere. Not entirely. The real reason for this trip was to tell them about Elizabeth's disappearance.

Lulu felt they owed the other woman for telling them the truth. A sentiment he totally agreed with. Unfortunately it was probably the reason she was now missing. Anna was certain that Dr. Obrecht was the one behind the kidnapping. And Dante couldn't find any reason to disagree. It was too much of a coincidence to believe other wise.

After last night's outburst Dante wasn't sure of Nikolas's reaction. He still couldn't believe how he had treated Elizabeth. It made him wonder what the older man would think of the current situation. And of their suspicion that Britt was involved as well.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ric was in the middle of lunch when he finally heard the news. Elizabeth had been kidnapped outside the hospital. In the moment it was as if his world stopped. The idea of something happening to her made Ric's heart stop.

The fact that it was Britt Westborne's mother accused of the crime only made matters worse. He imagined that the woman baled Elizabeth for last night's chaos. Ric knew what that kind of anger could lead to. It had lead him down a dark and twisted path. A path that ultimately lead to him losing Elizabeth and Cameron.

Shaking the thought away Ric couldn't help but wonder. Everything Britt and her mother did up to this point had been well planned. In fact it was pure luck that their secret ever came to light at all. Dr. Obrecht didn't strike him as the type of person not to have an backup plan.

However taking Ben... taking Elizabeth was a huge mistake. He knew how Sonny operated. Despite what his brother believed they weren't that different. It could be that the two woman didn't care about the mobster's reputation. Or perhaps no one informed them of how ruthless Sonny could be. Ric wasn't unaware of either of those things. Family, for the most part, meant everything to him. Sonny was going to hunt Dr. Obrecht down no matter what it took. Maybe his big brother could use some help with that.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Thanks, Amanda." Patrick said shutting the door behind the nanny. He'd hired the young woman after Robin returned. It wasn't fair to continue to put Sabrina in that situation. Especially since what they all needed was a clean break. Even if Emma didn't understand what was going on.

"You're home early."

"Yeah," he agreed joining his daughter on the couch. He still had no idea how to tell her about Elizabeth. It wasn't like Patrick could lie about the situation. Someone would no doubt tell Cam about his mom. "I... I had a rough morning."

"But you talked to Auntie Elizabeth right?" she asked innocently. Last night had upset the young girl. She had never seen Spencer's father acting that way.

"No, I didn't. That's actually part of the reason I'm home early."

Emma frowned at the odd statement. "I don't understand. Is something wrong with her?"

"Elizabeth didn't show up for work. She..." Patrick paused to take a deep breath before continuing. "she's missing. Someone took her."

"Like when mommy was gone?"

Patrick ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't sure he wanted to be reminded of Robin at the moment. "Kinda like that." he said gently not waiting to scare Emma.

"Is grandma looking for her?" she asked after several moments.

He smiled at the question. Emma and Anna had gotten very close the last two years. "Everyone is looking for Auntie Elizabeth. Including your grandma."

"Then Auntie Elizabeth will be okay. I just know it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Learning Elizabeth was missing shook Nikolas to his core. Clearly Britt's mother was more unstable than they all thought. After Dante left he headed over to the police station needing to help out. Anna however wasn't interested in his help. Instead she threw him out. In all fairness the commissioner did have a lot to deal with.

After making a few calls to start a search of his own Nikolas headed across town. The boys were currently staying at Audrey's house. He was sure that Elizabeth's grandmother could take care of them for a few days. But he figured she shouldn't have to.

Nikolas had more than enough room for them. Even if he didn't he would have taken them. He owed Elizabeth more than he could ever repay. She tried for months to make him see that Britt wasn't who he thought. Warning he ignored at every turn. If he didn't feel badly enough there was the matter of last night. Throwing Elizabeth out of his home was beyond uncalled for. Taking care of his nephews was the very least he could do.

During the ride back to Wyndemere Nikolas marveled at how easily Audrey gave into his request. It wasn't hard to see she was more worried about Elizabeth than she'd let on. Not that he could blame her. Dr. Obrecht was a complete unknown. At least with Helena Nikolas had some idea of how her twisted mind worked.

He briefly considered going to see Britt in lock up. Her mother was the one causing this currently mess. Surely she would have some idea what was going through Dr. Obrecht's mind. If nothing else she might give him some sort of starting point.

Only he didn't want to give the other woman any hope. They were over as far as Nikolas was concerned. Even if he couldn't turn off his feelings completely. The Britt he knew, the one he loved never really existed. So while he may still care for her Nikolas knew he didn't have to act on those feelings. That knowledge was what kept him from giving into the impulse to call Britt.

"Spencer," Nikolas called out ushering Cam and Aiden into Wyndemere. It had been difficult to tell his son about Britt. He was hoping his cousins would be nice distractions. "We have some visitors."

Spencer came running out of the living room half expecting to see Britt. When he saw Cam instead the younger boy immediately said, "What is he doing here?"


	7. Chapter Seven

**AN:**

Poor Ric. I really do feel bad for him. Just trust me though. I have a plan.

~Kelly~

* * *

**Chapter Seven **

Nikolas was stunned by Spencer reaction. He knew the two boys had been fighting but this was ridiculous. Even if his son was lashing out because of Britt the behavior wasn't acceptable. "Elizabeth is missing so Cam and Aiden are going to be staying here for awhile."

"Spencer, I know we've been fighting as lot, but I think well have a lot of fun here together." Cam said hoping to smooth things over. He didn't want to fight with his cousin. Especially with his mom missing.

"That sounds like a plan, Cameron. Spencer, what do you think?"

"Over my dead body." Spencer snapped storming back into the living room.

"Apologize to Cameron." Nikolas demanded ushering the two boys into the living room."Spencer, say you're sorry right now."

"You're sorry right now, Spencer?" he mocked in response. Spencer didn't want Cam to stay with them. All he wanted was for things to go back to how things were yesterday.

"Was that an apology?" Cam asked pulling Aiden a little closer. Maybe staying with Uncle Nikolas wasn't the best idea.

"No. No, it wasn't. This is completely unacceptable. Come on, guys. You two used to get along great."

"That was before he stole my girlfriend."

"I assume that you are referring to Emma Drake, yes?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Well, she's far too young for the both of you." he pointed out gently. In his opinion they were all too young for this sort of talk. No wonder Alexis was ready to lock Molly up. "No one is anyone's girlfriend."

"Fine."

"What's going on, huh? Cameron and Aiden are not only like family, they're our guests."

"But, Dad..."

"No. No. I want you to make them feel like this is their home. You may think that because you're a Cassadine that that entitles you to order people around or act rudely towards anyone that you don't like, but you're wrong. It is your duty, it is your obligation, to treat everyone with kindness and courtesy. If you can't do that..." Nikolas paused wondering if he ever put his uncle through this. Apparently no matter how hard you tried the Cassadine genes were impossible to fight. "there are consequences. You have everything. You have a great many privileges. But if you can't do this, I have no problem with taking them away from you. Do you understand?"

After several moment of tense silence Spencer said, "Yes."

"Good. Now... I trust that, uh, you and Cameron can figure this out." Nikolas said hopefully. He realized that he'd have to keep a close eye on the boys. He doubted this animosity would stop overnight. "Now show Cameron to his room, and as a gesture of friendship, share your Easter candy with him.

"For the record, this place was a lot more fun when Britt was still here." Spencer yelled stomping out of the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

There were days Diane Miller hated her job. Most of those occasions had occurred while representing Sonny Corinthos. The alleged mobster had been accused of some terrible things. However that didn't compare to her current client. Dr. Britt Westborne was quiet possible the vilest person she'd ever met. The things she had admitted to doing were almost inhuman. Even so they weren't against the law. Which is where her legal expertise came in.

"Are you going to arraign my client or set her free?" Diane asked the police commissioner. She knew everyone was trying to put the arraignment off as long as possible. Officially they had seventy-two hours before they had to charge Britt. However she wasn't going to let her client sit in lock for that long.

"I'm sorry we're not moving fast enough for you." Dante grumbled from his file covered desk.

"You're forgiven." she assured the son of her former client. "Now arraign Dr. Westborne or let her go."

"The DA is considering add more charges." Anna said handing Dante more files. She had just come from the DA's office. The man was determined to keep Britt in jail no matter what it took.

"On what grounds?"

"Dr. Obrecht kidnapped two people." she told the lawyer. Anna was surprised the other woman hadn't heard the news. The press was all over this case. The longer it went on the more of a nightmare it was going to be. "Ben along with Elizabeth Webber."

The news Elizabeth was missing bothered Diane a lot. The young nurse was always one of her favorite clients. Still she had job to do no matter how much disgusted her. "What does that have to do with my client?"

"She's going to be charged as an accessory." Dante answered with a glint in his eyes. Diane was stuck how much he reminded her of his alleged mob boss father.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Get out of my house right now." Sonny snapped the moment he saw Ric. He couldn't believe the man had the nerve to show up after everything.

"I just want to help."

"I've heard that before Ric." he countered pouring himself a drink. He had enough to deal with already. "Usually its right before you stab me in the back."

"Look I know I've done things in the past but..."

"Damn right you have."

"But that's in the past." Ric continued unfazed by his brother's outburst. Actually he had expected worse. "I've changed. The last thing I want is to fight with you Sonny."

"Like I'm going to fall for that lie again." the mobster mumbled cursing just about everyone. His day just kept getting worse by the minute. What was next a visit from Jax?

"I can't make you believe me. I've given you plenty of reasons not to trust me." Ric admitted shoving his hands into his coat.

"So why are you here?"

"Elizabeth is missing too. You know what she means to me."

Sonny shook his head at the admission. All this years and Ric was still hung up on Elizabeth. It was almost sad. "Trying to win her back again? That's a little pathetic even for you."

"I get you need to lash out but I'm not going to fight with you Sonny. No matter how much you want me to."

This was news to Sonny. In the past Ric had no trouble rising to the bait. This wasn't going to help matters any. The last thing he wanted was Ric meddling. Of course he could distract the younger man. And possibly get Micheal off his back at the same time. "You're because you wanna help right?"

"Right," Ric agreed reluctantly. He knew Sonny was up to something. Of course if it helped Elizabeth he didn't care. "Whatever I can do. With reason of course."

"Of course." Sonny agreed immediately. They both knew Ric wasn't as moral as he'd like to pretend. "I want you to find who shot AJ."


	8. Chapter Eight

**AN:**

Okay so the next couple of chapters have some time jumps. I want to get to Elizabeth's rescue as quickly as I can but certain events need to happen first. If you get confused or have any questions feel free to ask.

~Kelly~

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

It was amazing what money could buy. For example the loyalty of an employee. Ric had only been looking into AJ's shooting for two weeks. It had been easy to find out that Carlos's gun was used in the shooting. The man swore he was innocent which no one really believed. It was all too convenient.

Still he promised Sonny that he'd find the shooter. Looking into the matter Ric discovered that Ava's alibi didn't hold up. Her driver was more than will to turn on the woman in exchange for several thousand dollars. It was the closest thing to proof he was going to get. Unless Ava was stupid enough to confess.

They just left what to do with the information. Ric wasn't stupid he knew exactly what his brother might do. Especially when he learned why Ava killed AJ. It turns out that the other man had seen Ava kill Connie. That little gem had been harder to come by. It was also the type of information that would send Sonny over the edge. He wasn't sure he wanted to be responsible for another human beings death. The days of him doing anything for Sonny were long over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth curled up on the bed Ben inches away from her. She had no idea how long they'd been held prisoner. The small room was windowless along with not having a clock. If Dr. Obrecht was trying to make her crazy it was working. This was worse than being trapped in the crypt. At least then she had Zander to keep her company. Ben was adorable but he wasn't very good company.

It didn't help that Elizabeth constantly worried about the boys. She wasn't quiet sure who was taking care of them. Especially given the chaos in Port Charles. Cam was old enough to understand what was going on. She hated Britt and her mother for making them suffer. All so they could get away with their crimes.

At least she didn't have to deal with Dr. Obrecht. The woman only appeared occasionally with food. From the glares Elizabeth guessed her precious Britta still wasn't free. Not that she was surprised. According to gossip Anna hated the older woman. An emotion Elizabeth totally agreed with to be honest.

She had never hated anyone the way she did these two. Not even Sam rated this much anger. In a way Elizabeth had understood why she reacted the way she did. Britt was acting out of pettiness.

It made her wonder what Dr. Obrecht plan was for her. It was obvious she had been planning to kidnap someone. The room was well prepared to hold someone for an extended period of time. The question was why.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cameron Webber was not happy. Sure most of the reasons had to do with his mom being missing. Two weeks felt more like two years to him. Poor Aiden didn't even understand what was going on. To make matters worse he and Spencer were still fighting. Not just over Emma but practically everything.

Sure his Uncle Nikolas tried to keep the peace but he wasn't always around. In fact he wasn't ever around. Cam was surprised how little he actually saw of his uncle. It sorta made his feel bad for Spencer. His mom always spent time with him and Aiden no matter how busy she got. Plus they usually did something special on her days off. Something he didn't think Uncle Nikolas had ever heard of.

Grumbling as down the stairs Cam was surprised to see Ric sitting on a bench. He hadn't seen the other man since just before his mom disappeared. The night of that terrible party. Maybe he could help Cam with his Spencer problem. "Ric did you hear about my mom?"

"I did." Ric said motioning for the boy to sit. "What are you doing on the docks alone?"

"Carl is bringing me home form school."

Apparently Carl needed to do a better job. The docks was no place for children to be wondering alone. "Hmmm. So you're staying with Nikolas? How is that going?" he asked gently. Ric had been meaning to come see the boys. However he was dreading having to deal with Nikolas. He and the Cassadine prince didn't get along any better then Cam and Spencer. And probably for the same reason. They were both interested in the same woman. Despite the fact Nikolas had been set to marry Britt.

"Spencer and I still aren't getting along."

"That must be tough. Especially since I know you miss your mom."

Cam nodded sadly. He knew Ric would understand. After all he'd been the one who helped him with Emma. "I wish she would come back home."

"Me too." he said looking out onto the harbor. Getting information on Ava was probably the one thing that had kept him sane so far. He hated to think what he would do now. Pulling a business card from his jacket Ric handed it to Cam. "This is my number. If you need anything.. even just to talk you call me."

"Even in the middle of the night?" he asked looking at the card. Sometimes he couldn't sleep wondering if his mom was safe. Cam didn't think anyone else had noticed.

"Especially in the middle of the night." Ric said trying not to frown. He kept getting the impression Nikolas wasn't as involved with the boys as he should be. Clearly he was going to have to keep a closer eye on things. Elizabeth's boys deserved better than to be ignored. "Does that sound like a plan?"

"That sounds great. Thanks Ric," he said surprising the other man with a hug. "I better get back to Wyndemere. Bye."

Ric watched as the young boy boarded the launch to Wyndemere. Pulling out his phone he it the speed dial. When the line picked up he said, "It's me. We need to talk."


	9. Chapter Nine

**AN:**

My poor poor Elizabeth. I really put her through it in this fic. I love the scene at the end of this chapter best. It's one of my favs so far in this fic. As for Liz getting rescued it'll be at least two more chapters. Ric has to take care of some things first. ;)

~Kelly~

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here," Sonny snapped the moment Ric walked into the room.

"I did what you asked. I found the person responsible for AJ's shooting." he pointed out causing the older man to seethe. "In fact I went beyond that and found out who killed Connie."

He scoffed sitting at the desk. Sonny couldn't believe he had actually figured it out. "It was the same person."

"Which you didn't know. So what are you so angry about Sonny? The fact I turned the information over to the cops?" When the mobster glared at him Ric smiled. "That's it isn't it? You're pissed I took away you're chance for revenge."

"I could care less about AJ." he said brushing away the idea. Sonny didn't want to have to listen to this non sense any more.

"But you loved Connie. Losing her must be..." Ric paused before growing serious. "look I am sorry for what you're going through."

"Go to hell Ric." he growled stopping just short of throwing something. Ric was the one person who pushed all his buttons at once.

"I did warn you I was done with whatever song and dance we've been doing. Maybe now you'll believe me." he shrugged trying not to smirk. Making Sonny angry shouldn't be this enjoyable. They both had more serious issues to focus on. Namely finding Ben and Elizabeth. They had been missing for far too long.

"What I believe is that you're..." Sonny trailed off as the door opened. If he was going to kill Ric the last thing he wanted was a witness.

"Boss we have a guest," Marco said ushering in the last person either man expected to see.

"What are you doing here?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The newspaper sat on the small table mocking Elizabeth. Part of her refused to accept it was real. It had to be a trick Dr. Obrecht was playing her. Because if it was real then her heart was shattered.

Most of the articles were devoted to the Annual Nurses Ball. Which meant that Elizabeth had been gone for nearly a month. She had been separated from her boys for weeks. Who knows what they had gone through in that time? The knowledge tore at her heart.

However it was a photo on the front page that was the final straw. The grainy black and white image showed Nikolas with his arm around Britt. They were both smiling at the performers on the stage. Elizabeth just couldn't comprehend the situation. It felt like such a betrayal.

How could Nikolas forgive her after everything? Did Lulu and Dante's suffering mean nothing to him? Or the fact that she was missing along with Ben? Elizabeth thought their friendship was stronger than that.

That's why it had to be a fake. If it was real that meant whatever love they shared was dead. It was an idea that sent her world into a tail spin. Elizabeth had confessed her love for him not that long ago. A love she truly believed Nikolas shared. That was until this moment. Maybe it was all just another illusion.

For some reason Ric's words kept replaying in her head. He loved her in a way no one else ever had. Completely. Without reservations. Elizabeth had never experienced love like that before or since. She knew that deep down he still held a piece of her heart. It wouldn't take much to rekindle her feelings. However the love they shared wasn't enough last time. Could this time be any different?

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ric wanted to curse as he stepped off the launch. The situation between Cam and Spencer was out of hand. Something that wouldn't have happened if Nikolas was paying attention. He knew that both boys were at fault but ignoring matters wasn't helping.

This was the third time Cam had taken off. Ric still wasn't sure how he made it to Sonny's. What he did know was he couldn't allow this to continue. Elizabeth's sons deserved better than that.

Walking into the living room he was only slightly surprised to see Britt and Nikolas cozied up on the couch. "I don't mean to interrupt," he said despite meaning the exact opposite. Ric wanted this to be as uncomfortable for the pair as possible.

"Then what are you doing here Ric?" he asked exasperated with the lawyer already. Nikolas didn't know what Elizabeth saw in the smug man. She could do so much better.

"Cam and I have had an interesting day." he said watching the younger man squirm. Their errands had taken several hours. Ric would have thought that Cam might have been missed. "Did you even notice he was missing this time?"

"The staff would have told me..."

"Your staff?" Ric broke in unable to stop the sarcastic remark. He had felt guilty about what he'd done. Elizabeth wasn't going to be happy with it. However Nikolas wasn't leaving him any choice. "Cam go get your things and Aiden. Your Uncle and I need to talk."

That immediately got Nikolas's attention. Who in the hell did Ric think he was? "His things? He's not going anywhere especially not with you." he pointed out half ready to deck the guy.

Ric pulled a set of papers from his jacket. "That is no longer your call."

He snatched the papers form Ric and started to read. Nikolas couldn't believe what was happening. He knew Ric was sneaky but this was a new low. "A court order? You can't be serious."

"Like I said Cameron and I had an interesting day." Atcually Cam and the judge had an interesting day. He was more of a spectator in the whole process. It was pure luck that he'd bought a house several days ago. The six bedroom had plenty of room for the boys and Molly.

"Who the hell did you bribe for this?"

Ric smiled at the question. The most logical answer clearly hadn't occurred to Nikolas. Not surprising given the prince's current emotional state. "Have you ever seen Cam's birth certificate?"

"Stop changing the subject and answer my questions."

"I have a copy in my safe deposit box right next to Molly's." he continued calmly. He wasn't going to do anything to risk having his family together. Once they found Elizabeth of course.

"What's your point Ric?"

"My point is I didn't have to bribe anyone. Cam is legally my son. Which means I have the right to ask for temporary custody unlike you."

The news was apparently too much for Nikolas. "Get the hell out of my house." he shouted causing a surprisingly quiet Britt to jump.

"Now the last time I heard that you were yelling at Elizabeth. Who was kidnapped by Dr. Westborne's mother. Haven't you wondered what it is Britt knows?"

"I've told the police I don't know anything." she pouted tear immediately filling her eyes.

"And Nikolas believes you."

"Britt is working with the..."

"How convenient." Ric muttered cutting the younger man off. It didn't matter what he was about to say. Ric was certain Britt was involved. He almost couldn't believe Nikolas was that stupid. Of course he didn't love Britt either.

"I was serious about you leaving," Nikolas said standing between him and Britt. "or do I need to show you the door?"

Ric was happy to leave Wyndemere and never return. Just as soon as his business was complete. "As soon as my son and his brother are packed we'll be gone."


	10. Chapter Ten

**AN:**

Sorry about last week but it was one thing after another. I'm not 100% happy with this chapter but it is what it is. LoL! The good news is the rescue is the next chapter. Oh and there some hints about what Dr. O's plans for Elizabeth are.

~Kelly~

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Ric stepped off the elevator determined to get some answers. Elizabeth's boys had been living with him for nearly three weeks. While he loved taking care of them they needed their mother. He needed Elizabeth too. Being in Port Charles without her felt wrong. That's why he was going to put an end to this immediately. Well if a few on Elizabeth's coworkers would help him.

"Good morning," he said approaching the nurses desk. Elizabeth had this way of inspiring loyalty in people. It made them want to do things they normally wouldn't for her. Like deceive Dr. Westborne. "

Felix glared at him for several seconds. "I looked you up. You have a reputation."

"I'm glad Elizabeth has such good friends." he said trying not to smile. Ric could only imagine what the younger had found. Most which was probably true. "Actually I'm sort of counting on that. I need some help."

"This has to do with the Britch doesn't it?"

"Who?"

"Dr. Westborne," Patrick supplied helpfully. Elizabeth had told him many stories about her past. Including her relationship with Ric Lansing. It was obvious the lawyer would do just about anything for his friend. "You think she know where Elizabeth is. Don't you?"

Ric shrugged at the question. If he was being honest it was more than a guess. "It's a reasonable guess. At the very least she's in contact with her mother. It's just a matter of convincing her to give the information up."

"Haven't the police already tried that?"

"Certainly. But they rules and..." he trialed off unable to stop himself from smirking. When Elizabeth found out about this he was going to be in so much trouble. Honestly he couldn't wait. Getting her back was worth it. "well you looked me up."

"What do you need?"

"A few minutes alone with Britt. I was hoping one of you could arrange that."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dante had never felt more helpless in his life. It had been weeks since Ben and Elizabeth had disappeared. As hard as it was to believe they had no clues. Nothing from the moment Dr. Obrecht took Elizabeth from General Hospital. It was as if they had disappeared of the face of the Earth.

"Please tell me your men have found something," he pleaded entering Sonny's living room. He had avoided going to his father until now. Dante knew exactly what would happen if Sonny found Dr. Obrecht first. He was just at a point that it no longer bothered him.

Sonny shook his head regretfully before saying, "I'm sorry. We tracked the car just across the city line. After that... I have men looking everywhere."

"I know. It's just Lulu is a wreak and I can't make it better no matter how much I want to."

"We'll find them Dante. I promise."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Britt knew she was lucky to have a job. She also knew that Nikolas was the only reason she was still employed at General Hospital. He was on the hospital board and the biggest donor. She almost felt bad about keeping this one last lie from him.

The truth was she knew exactly where her mother was. And more importantly she knew where Ben was. Her son was the most important person in her life. Even more important than Nikolas's love. Although she still hoped to have both.

She knew that eventually Nikolas would forgive her. The Nurses Ball proved that. Even if Spencer was the one who organized them sitting together. It was good to know the little boy was on her side. Maybe the four of them could be a family after all.

Stepping into the exam room Britt closed the door. She was running several minutes behind for a new patient. "I'm sorry about being late Mrs..." she trailed off as she turned around. The room was totally empty. This stunt was probably Sabrina's idea of a joke. She was going to pay that little nobody back.

"You're late," a male voice commented causing Britt to face the door. Leaning against the only way out was Ric Lancing.

"You're not Mrs. Williams."

"I'm glad you noticed, Dr. Westborne." Ric said taking several steps towards her. With each step the younger woman backed away. Apparently Britt had the good sense to be nervous. "But you do have something I want."

"I don't know where Elizabeth is."

"And I'd like to believe you." he said shoving his hands into his pockets. "The thing is Britt you're a desperate woman. And desperation it can make you do some crazy things."

Britt couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. She wasn't worried what the local mob boss might do. After all she was still alive. "If Sonny sent you here you can cell him I'm not afraid of him."

"Good for you. Most people don't stand up to Sonny. What about me?"

"What about you?" she asked the question catching her off guard.

"You say you aren't afraid of my brother. Perhaps you're scared of me."

"Why would I be?" Britt shot back rolling her eyes. Did the people in this town think she was stupid? She wasn't going to cave because of a little bit of pressure. "You're just some lawyer Elizabeth used to be married to."

"Isn't that adorably clueless of you." Ric chuckled at the statement. Britt really had no idea who she was dealing with. It almost made what he was about to do wrong. Almost. It wasn't his fault that she hadn't done all the research. "It's a little more complicated than that. I mean it's no secret that I still love Elizabeth. Or that I'd do... anything to win her back."

"Who cares? Just keep that slut away from Nikolas."

"Now that isn't nice. Of course I'd expect nothing less. Jealously is... well unattractive. I'd work on that if I were you." Ric said stepping back.

"Noted. Are we finished?" Britt huffed impatiently. "I have actual patients to see."

"Did Nikolas tell you why he hates me so much?" he asked casually. Ric knew that she wouldn't be able to resist learning more. Britt was too desperate to keep Nikolas to pass up any information.

She shook her head. Britt knew the other man was playing some sort of game but couldn't figure out what it was. "I thought Elizabeth was the reason."

"Actually I think he objects to the fact I framed him for murder."

The statement shocked Britt to her core. Clearly there was more to Ric Lancing than what she knew. "Why... why would you do that?"

"Well for Elizabeth. I'd do anything for her. Like kidnap my bother's pregnant wife. I was going to steal the baby and give it to Elizabeth."

"And Sonny let you live?" Britt choked out half tempted to scream. That was if she thought anyone would help her.

"Well I'm family so he made an exception." Ric pointed out practically brushing off the question. He could see that Britt was starting to worry. He wasn't going to actually hurt the doctor not that she needed to know that. "I'm sure if I had actually killed Carly things would be different."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Ask Nikolas. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to tell you all of my misdeeds." Ric figured he be more than happy to share them. Of course he didn't care what Nikolas or most people thought. Just Elizabeth and his children. Which was slowly starting to include Aiden.

"There's more?"

Ric smirked coldly at the question. She had no idea what he was capable of. A fact he shouldn't find so amusing. "Or I could show the room I held Carly in. I still own the house after all."

"Nikolas would worry about me."

"Maybe but he'd be the only one. And I assure you I've gotten better at covering my tracks over the years." he promised taking several steps forward. Britt backed up until she hit the wall. Seeing no hope for escape she finally caved.

"Al... alright you win. I'll tell you where Elizabeth is."

"Smart choice."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth rested her her on the toilet while trying to calm her nervous stomach. She was still shaking from the bomb Dr. Obrecht had just dropped. At least now she knew what the woman had planned for her. Of course she wished she didn't know. It was so much worse than anything Elizabeth could have thought of.

Britt's mother was a sick and twisted woman. Worse than even Helena. The depths she was willing to sink was mind numbing. The worst was not being able to stop Dr. Obrecht. The woman's plan was already set in motion. All Elizabeth could do was watch helplessly as it played out.

Standing slowly Elizabeth moved to the sink and splashed cold water onto her face. She couldn't focus on Dr. Obrecht and her evil plans right now. Ben was counting on her to take care of him.

Still she couldn't shake feeling like she had been violated. It was a feeling Elizabeth remembered well from her rape. Along with the shame and guilt. Thankfully she didn't have to deal with those last two emotions this time around. Mostly she felt angry at Britt and her mother. How many lives were they going to ruin before someone stopped them?


	11. Chapter Eleven

**AN:**

Finally! Elizabeth get rescued. Of course her being taken was only part of the story. Now we can get to the really fun stuff. ;)

~Kelly~

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Elizabeth wrapped her and Ben tightly in a blanket. She hoped it would calm the fussy baby. Ben had been agitated for a while now. Poor thing was probably teething again. At least he didn't seem to have a fever too. "It's okay Ben. We'll both be home soon," she soothed despite not believing it.

Apparently Dr. Obrecht was expecting Britt any day now. The older woman was almost gleeful about the fact. She bragged about having everything, including fake papers, ready for her precious daughter's arrival.

The knowledge made Elizabeth worry even more. If Britt left with Ben Lulu and Dante would never see the boys again. This plan had been in the works for months assuring their new identities would be impossible to trace. Especially since their destination was a country where Britt couldn't be extradited.

Of course that still left the other part of Dr. Obrecht's sick plan. The only upside Elizabeth could find was the fact they didn't plan on killing her. Truth was the doctor had hinted that should would be released as soon as Britt was safe.

Elizabeth still didn't know how to deal with the news. At least she would get to see her boys. They must be so worried and confused with her missing. She couldn't help but worry how this was affecting them. Maybe Dr. Collins could give her some advice on how to help them through this situation. Right after they treated her of course. The last few weeks had been painful. Having nothing to do but think wasn't an enjoyable experience. One thing was very clear to Elizabeth. When this was all over she was going to need some serious therapy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We'll find them Dante. I promise." Sonny vowed hoping it was true. Short of forcing the information out of Dr. Westborne he wasn't sure how that was going to happen. The problem was Nikolas Cassadine was protecting the woman. Going so far as to ensure she had a job at General Hospital. If anything happened to her Sonny knew he would be the first suspect. "Don't give up."

"I won't. I know we... we don't always agree but I'm... I'm glad you're looking for Ben too."

Marco reluctantly opened the office door and said, "Boss, Lancing is here again."

"Just what I need." Sonny muttered running a hand through his hair. "You better let him in."

"Still not happy to see me?" Ric asked stepping into the room. He almost didn't come to Sonny with the information. The PCPD would have loved what Britt told him. However he still didn't trust them not to screw things up. Elizabeth's life wasn't worth that kind of risk. "I suppose I'll rake my information to the PCPD. Maybe Anna will appreciate it."

"What information?" Sonny asked despite not wanting to deal with Ric. The man was clearly up to something. It was probably a good idea to at least hear him out.

"Just the address where Dr. Obrecht has Ben and Elizabeth."

Dante frowned at the news. The PCPD didn't have a single lead on where Dr. Obrecht might be. Even Sonny's men hadn't been to come up with anything. "How'd you get that?" he asked unable to stop himself.

"I asked Britt nicely." Ric shrugged casually. He wasn't about to admit to Dante of all people what he'd done. However when Sonny scoffed he couldn't suppress a smirk. "Alright so I asked very nicely."

"I'm sure you did." Sonny muttered. Britt didn't just give up that information for no reason. He had to have said or done something to convince her. " So where is this place?"

"Canada."

The mobster rolled his eyes at the vague statement. It was as if Ric was trying to cause a fight. "Anything more specific? Canada isn't exactly small."

"Here's the thing." Ric began pulling a slip of paper from his pocket. He knew what his brother was going to do to Dr. Obrecht and the truth was he didn't care. As long as Elizabeth came back safe. The trouble was she wasn't as important to Sonny as she was to him.

"I knew there was a catch. What do you want Ric?"he demanded to know angrily. Sonny was half tempted to just take the information he wanted.

"You know what I want."

The older man thought for a moment before saying, "Elizabeth."

"That can't surprise you. You know what she means to me." Ric admitted quietly. Having Sonny know his weakness wasn't easy. He was just going to have to trust that the mobster wouldn't pick this moment to act like an ass. "All I want is her safe. She has two little boys Sonny."

"And if she's not with Ben?"

"It makes the most sense to keep them together but," he continued when Sonny started to argue. "If she isn't then... well then Elizabeth isn't your concern."

"Sounds reasonable."

"Wait no," Dante protested joining the conversation for the first time. The idea of doing nothing to find Elizabeth ate at him. "Elizabeth is the reason we know about Ben. You have to find her."

Sonny knew that Danny had a point. He owed Elizabeth for telling the truth especially since that was probably the reason she was taken. "Alright I'll make sure Elizabeth is safe."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Britt left General Hospital still shaking. She was going to have to do some serious damage control. She might not be able to keep Ben but she refused to lose Nikolas too. If he heard about Elizabeth before she got to him that's exactly what would happen.

Thankfully Nikolas hated Ric Lancing beyond reason. She knew there was a twisted history between the two men. Something more than them both loving Elizabeth. However Britt never suspected it was something like murder. How could Nikolas still care for Elizabeth after all that? It was sickening how that he still wanted that useless nobody.

Her mother should have done the world a favor and killed the nurse. Thinking of her mother Britt paused for several moments. As tempting as warning her was it wasn't an option. How knows what she might to do to Ben? At least with him in Port Charles she had a chance of getting her son back.

"Nikolas," she called frantically allowing tears to fill her eyes. Coming to Wyndemere was a gamble but she was counting on surprising Nikolas. "Are you here?"

"Is something wrong?" Nikolas asked when she entered his study. He was still furious with Britt for lying even if he could understand her reasons. Desperation could make a person do things they normally wouldn't. And as much as he didn't want to admit it he still loved Britt. He just wasn't sure what to do with the emotions.

"Ric... he... cornered me at work today," she sobbed wringing her hands. Britt knew the show of emotion would get him on her side. It helped that she was truly afraid of Ric Lancing. He had this cold look in his eyes that reminded her of her mother. "He wanted to know where Elizabeth and Ben are. When I told him I don't know he threatened to lock me up."

"Well it wouldn't be the first time," he mumbled pulling her in to his arm. Nikolas couldn't believe the nerve of are. How dare he attack Britt. Wasn't stealing Cam and Aiden bad enough? "Don't worry I won't let him hurt you."

"I knew you'd protect me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elizabeth had no idea how she ended up at General Hospital. Okay that wasn't totally true. She had a general idea what happened. One moment she was trying to comfort Ben and the next all hell had busted loose.

When three men stormed the room Elizabeth thought it was a trick by Dr. Obrecht. That was until she recognized Max. she hadn't seen the guard much since Jason's death. At least Sonny had the good sense to send someone she knew. Of course knowing Sonny it was probably an accident.

From there it was a short flight back to Port Charles and then on to General Hospital. The moment she arrived Elizabeth was swamped with Courtney workers. She tried to understand that they were worried. Really she did. However she was barely holding it together. All she wanted was to see her boys and maybe move to an island.

Dr. Rashi was just about to leave when Nikolas burst in her room. "When I heard you'd been rescued I almost didn't believe it."

"I"m sorry but only family is allowed in here." the doctor said wrapping a stethoscope around his neck. He was half tempted to ban visitors all together. The last thine Nurse Webber needed was more stress.

"Well she's my former sister-in-law. I mean, our - our - my son and hers - they're cousins, so..."

"That make you what exactly?"

Nikolas hated throwing his name around. However he wasn't going to be turned away. Elizabeth needed people who loved her. "On the hospital board."

"Alright you have five minutes, and then we have to let her rest. She's been through a lot." The doctor said reluctantly before leaving the room. Hopefully he didn't regret the decision.

"Hey," Nikolas said softly pulling a seat up beside the bed. "How are you doing? That's stupid question isn't it?"

"It's okay really. I'm... I think I'm still trying to process everything. The last... however long I was gone."

"Seven weeks," he supplied carefully. The last thing he wanted was to upset Elizabeth any further. She was going to be mad enough when he told her about Ric.

"Wow. I've been gone seven weeks. This whole situation feel like a nightmare. You know?"

"I can't imagine but it makes sense."

"How's Ben?" Elizabeth asked her eyes darting around the room. While she appreciated Nikolas's concern she didn't want to deal with anyone. "I sorta lost track of him with all the commotion."

"He's fine. The doctors were looking him over when I came up here."

She let out a huge sigh. "That's a relief. I never thought I'd be glad to see Sonny's men."

"Do you even know how they found you?"

Before Elizabeth could answer Ric stormed into the room. Nikolas barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Of course he would show up before she could learn the truth. "Elizabeth? Are you all right? I just heard the news."

"I'm fine," she said brushing away his concerns. His dark eyes immediately narrowed in disbelief. "Really."

Ric debated calling her on the lie but instead pulled her in to a tight hug. "Okay. I have to tell you I've been worried out of mind."

"Is that you're excuse?" Nikolas snapped shocking Elizabeth. It was obvious something had happened between the two while she was away.

"Nikolas..."

"So,what can I get for you?" Ric asked cutting her warning off. The last thing she needed was to see him and Nikolas fight. Something Ric was certain was at this point inevitable. "I mean, chocolate, flowers, champagne?"

"This is hardly a celebration." he scoffed trying to break up the cozy moment.

"Are you kidding? She survived your maniac of a fiancée and her maniac of a mother. At this point, I'd organize a parade if I thought you were up to it."

Elizabeth smiled at the idea. She knew Ric was going overboard but it made her feel good. "Maybe I'm not parade ready yet."

"Of course not." he soothed pressing a kiss to her temple. If he was a wreak he could only imagine what Elizabeth felt like. She defiantly deserved some papering after all she'd been through.

"Everyone took really good care of me." she promised trying to calm both men down. Maybe then she could get them to leave.

"Well now it's mine turn. So what can I do?

The door opened just as Elizabeth was about to answer. On the other side was one of the nurses who was not pleased to see visitors in her patient's room. "Nice to see our patient is so popular, but I'm afraid it's a little late for visitors. Our patient needs her rest."

"Um, I just got here. Can't you bend the rules just this one time?" Ric pleaded with the nurse. He really needed to tell Elizabeth about the boys. "I mean, after all, our patient here is a, uh, hospital employee."

"Well...all right." she agreed after slowly. It was good to know someone was going to support Elizabeth. "But only one of you can stay. I'll trust one of you gentlemen to say good night."

Knowing they wouldn't leave on their own Elizabeth made a choice. Getting Nikolas was going to be easy compared to Ric. "I appreciate everything, Nikolas but Spencer needs you."

"You're right I should go." Nikolas conceded heading for the door. He paused for a moment to say, "Maybe then Ric can explain to you why he kidnapped the boys."

"Oh for the love of... that is not what happened and you know it." Ric grumbled trying not to hit the younger man. Nikolas was deliberately trying to make Elizabeth angry with him. Too bad he refused to let it work. "It's not like that at all. I promise Elizabeth."

She arched an eyebrow at the gentle pleading. Elizabeth had no idea what Nikolas was talking about she was going to get answers. "Alright. Then explain it to me. Starting with where are my boys right now?"

Still she couldn't shake feeling like she had been violated. It was a feeling Elizabeth remembered well from her rape. Along with the shame and guilt. Thankfully she didn't have to deal with those last two emotions this time around. Mostly she felt angry at Britt and her mother. How many lives were they going to ruin before someone stopped them?


End file.
